Check-out apparatus for self-service retail stores



May 13, 1969 H. K. ZSCHAECK 3, 4

CHECK-OUT APPARATUS FOR $ELF-SERVICE RETAIL STORES Filed Aug. 24, 1967 Sheet of 7 \L// 7 M M a l I l| I L 10 u in A May 13, 1969 Filed Aug. 24, 1967 H. K. ZSCHAECK CHECK-OUT APPARATUS FOR SELF-SERVICE RETAIL STORES Sheet 2 of? May 13, 1969 H. K. ZSCHAECK 3,

CHECK-OUT APPARATUS FOR SELF'SERVICE RETAIL STORES Sheet Filed Aug. 24, 1967 May 13, 1969 H. K. ZSCHAECK 3,

CHECK-OUT APPARATUS FOR SELF-SERVICE RETAIL STORES Filed Aug. 24, 1967 Sheet 4 of 7 y 3, 1969 H. K. ZSCHAECK 3,443,665

CHECK-OUT APPARATUS FOR SELF-SERVICE RETAIL STORES Filed Aug. 24, 1967 Sheet 5 of v May 13, 1969 H. K. ZSCHAECK 3,443,665

CHECK-OUT APPARATUS FOR SELF-SERVICE RETAIL STORES Filed Aug. 24, 1967 Sheet 6 of 7 May 13, 1969 H. K. ZSCHAECK Filed Aug. 24, 1967 Sheet of 7 /l l /,l

SECOND g- ,0 LIMIT SWITCH DE AY LQWERING T RELAY co l liA C l'gRs CONTACTORS .9 f m 4) C) 9' F TOP F/g. LIMIT SWITCH) ct: BOTTOM 3 MANUAL I A o REVERSING LIMIT SWITCH fl SWITCH United States Patent U.S. Cl. 1861 28 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Check-out apparatus for self-service retail stores includes a plurality of shopping baskets having a normally closed side openable to provide access for removing from a respective basket merchandise previously deposited in said basket, a check-out counter having a merchandisedepositing location for receiving thereon merchandise removable from said basket, means located at said merchandise-depositing location for opening the normally closed side of a shopping basket brought into the proximity of said location, and lifting means at said location actuable for elevating said shopping basket to a level at which the bottom of said basket is located in substantially the same horizontal plane as the check-out counter top.

My invention relates to check-out apparatus for selfservice retail stores and, more particularly, such apparatus that includes a plurality of uniformly constructed shopping receptacles such as wire baskets, for example, which may be mounted on a wheel frame in the form of a shopping cart, and that also includes a check-out counter located along an aisle leading to an exit of the store.

The rate of turn-over in self-service stores, supermarkets and similar business depends in part on the efficiency at the check-out locations where sales are registered. As is usually encountered with existing equipment, bottlenecks and long lines of customers develop during rush hours and prevent even How of business. In many cases, more check-out counters, as well as cash registers therefor, are provided than are required during normal business hours, so as to thereby accommodate the larger crowds during rush hours and consequently avoid block-- ing of the check-out counters and cash registers and the decrease in turnover that would normally result therefrom. This, of course, calls for more servicing employees and a consequent increase in the payroll. During normal hours, however, the additional check-out counters and cash registers are idle, constituting non-productive overhead for the capital investment, the space occupied and in personnel as compared to those check-out counters and cash registers in normal use. Attempts have accordingly been made to increase the efficiency of the check-out and cash registry by improving the apparatus and operating methods both at the check-out counters and cash registers on the one hand, and the shopping baskets or carts, on the other hand; however, such attempts heretofore have had no positive or lasting success.

The steps performed in effecting purchase of retail merchandise in a self-service store are in accordance with the following sequence:

The customer assembles the articles she intends to purchase in a shopping basket or cart obtained at the point of entry to the store. She pushes the shopping cart from place to place within the store until she has accumulated all the merchandise she desires, and then pushes the laden cart to the check-out counter.

At the check-out counter, the checker sometimes removes the merchandise from the cart, registers the items 3,443,665 Patented May 13, 1969 and places them into a second cart which the customer then pushes to a packing or bagging counter at which the merchandise is suitably packed or bagged. However, the checker or cashier must exert great physical effort in lifting the items of merchandise from the basket of the cart in order to determine the prices thereof to be registered, and then to place the items in a second cart. This also causes considerable delay in carrying out the check-out operation. Since this practice constitutes a major obstacle to the smooth flow of the purchasing operations, it has become more customary to enlist the customers aid in lifting the merchandise from the cart and placing it on a conveyor belt at a location upstream from the cash register, while the cashier is checking out a preceding customer. After completing the registration of the merchandise purchased by the preceding customer, the conveyor belt is actuated to advance the merchandise assembled by the succeeding customer to the check-out location. This is of great help to the cashier but nevertheless does not completely eliminate delay, since the merchandise must now be handled twice, first by the customer and then by the checker. Furthermore, an experienced checker will often complete checking-out the purchases of the preceding customer before the succeeding customer will have been able to lay out all the purchased items on the conveyor belt.

Further delay in the smooth flow of the check-out operation results from the fact that the checker can register the purchases much faster than the customer can lay the articles out so that the customer is not ready to make payment when the registry is completed. At that time, the customer will often first begin fumbling with her purse While the checker is required to wait.

Additional delay may also be caused, even in the case where several chutes or conveyor belts lead from the check-out location to the packing or bagging location, by unavoidable clogging of the items of purchase at the packing or bagging location, due to the fact that the customer is unable to place the purchased merchandise in her own shopping bag at the discharge end of the packing or bagging table before completion of the payment for the merchandise.

For the foregoing reasons it is believed to be more advantageous for the overall purchasing operation that the merchandise be removed by the store attendant or checker from the shopping basket for registering the items of purchase.

It is an object of my invention to provide apparatus which will permit an organized smooth flow of all the operations associated With checking out and registering purchases in self-service retail businesses so as to thereby facilitate optimally rapid completion of each purchasing transaction.

It is a further object of my invention, in view of my observation that any cooperation on the part of the customer in laying out the merchandise from the shopping basket for registry thereof at the check-out location has proven to impede the smooth flow of the check-out operation, to provide apparatus which permits the items of merchandise be handled solely by the checker at the checkout location, while the customer, after delivering the shopping basket or cart to the checker at the check-out location, then moves away to a location adjacent the cash register and subsequently to a location at the discharge end of the packing or bagging table from which she can remove or pack away her purchase while the checker is still occupied with registration of the purchases.

It is another object of my invention to provide apparatus at the check-out location and at the shopping receptacle which will facilitate the tasks of the checker or cashier.

To achieve the foregoing objects, it is imperative that the articles of purchase in the shopping baskets located at the check-out counter be at a distance most convenient from the checker or cashier, and that provision be made for promptly removing the emptied shopping baskets from the check-out counter and returning them to their original assembly point.

An attempt to facilitate handling by the checker is made in Patent No. 3,115,975 which discloses a shopping cart of conventional form having a basket with a front wall comprising a flap door pivotable outwardly and upwardly into a horizontal position in which it remains fixed to provide an opening in the front of the basket for removing articles of merchandise therefrom. Besides the fact that the store attendant or checker must actuate a lever to pivot the flap door and fix it in horizontal position, the construction of the cart of Patent No. 3,115,975 affords little practical advantage since the pivoted front wall jutting out horizontally causes great inconvenience for the checker who is attempting to remove the merchandise from the basket by hand. This disadvantage is common to all of such systems as exemplified by that of Patent No. 3,115,975. It is immaterial in terms of overall practicality whether the hinge for the pivotal wall of such shopping baskets is located along the upper, the lower or the side edge of the basket. The removal of merchandise from a basket having any one of such hinged door openings is actually impeded because the door juts out forwardly and thereby increases the distance through which the checker will have to move the merchandise. In Patent No. 2,943,707, there is provided a shopping cart having a basket with a front door hinged along an edge located about one-third the distance up from the lower edge of the basket, and the front door accordingly pivots downwardly. A lifting device is also provided for elevating the cart until the hinged edge is at the level of the check-out counter. Thus the hinged door of Patent No. 2,943,707 is not in the way of the checker who is removing the purchased articles from the cart. Moreover, the lifting device provides adequate reach for the checker, although the bottom of the cart basket is about one-third below the upper level of the check-out counter. The system of Patent No. 2,943,707 nevertheless presents specific drawbacks to efficient handling of the purchased items, since the checker has to operate a hand key to open and secure the front door prior to handling the merchandise, as well as to close and secure the front door after removing the merchandise. Furthermore, since the door hinge is not located at the bottom edge of the basket but rather about one-third up the height of the basket, a considerable portion of the space within the basket is located below the counter level so that the checker is often required to bend in order to reach the articles of merchandise located in the lower level of the basket.

In Patent No. 3,083,791, the bottom of the cart basket is movable upwards and downwards, and the check-out counter is provided with drive means for raising the bottom of the basket within reach of the checker. The construction of the basket and drive means in Patent No. 3,083,791, however, presents clear danger of damaging the merchandise contained therein, particularly bulky items. The raising operation must not be accelerated beyond the checkers ability to register the individual items for otherwise the merchandise may topple over the edge of the basket; on the other hand, the raising operation must not be too slow so as to impede or delay smooth flow of the check-out process. There appears to be no exact way of adjusting the speed of raising the bottom of the basket to the capabilities of the individual checker, aside from the problem presented by frequent change of personnel, since the reading of prices on the individual items of merchandise would ordinarily call for repeated change in the lifting speed due to the fact that there are differences in the readability of the prices on the various items. Moreover, repeated change in checking personnel, which is a common practice today, renders the cart of Patent No. 3,083,791, completely unfeasible due to the unadjustable lifting speed of the basket bottom. Even if suitable controls could be added for varying the lifting speed of the bottom of the cart in Patent No. 3,083,791, there would be serious setbacks due to the fact that such controls would require a great deal of the checkers attention, thereby diverting the checkers attention from his more important function of checking and registering the purchases.

In keeping with the aforementioned objects of my invention, it is also my object to avoid the foregoing disadvantages of the apparatus and systems of this general type which have been known heretofore.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I provide in accordance with my invention check-out apparatus for self-service retail stores comprising a plurality of shopping receptacles or baskets having a normally closed side slidingly openable to provide access for removing from a respective basket merchandise previously deposited in the basket, a check-out counter having a merchandise depositing location for receiving thereon merchandise removable from the basket, means located at the merchandise-depositing location for opening the normally closed side of a shopping basket brought into the proximity of the location, and lifting means at the location actuable for elevating the shopping basket to a level at which the bottom of the basket is located in substantially the same horizontal plane as the top surface of the check-out counter.

In accordance with other features of my invention, the openable side of the basket is in a substantially vertical plane at the front of the basket adjacent the counter top, and means are provided for sliding the openable side in the substantially vertical plane so as to form an opening in the basket. A locking device is also provided for locking the openable side in the normally closed position thereof. A lever is provided for actuating the lifting means which is substantially in the form of a lifting table. The means for opening the normally closed side of the basket comprises a device for unlocking the locking device and for securing the normally closed side of the basket as the basket is being lifted by the lifting table so that the normally closed side thereby slides relative to the basket and opens the front end of the basket.

The combination of the foregoing features of my invention affords a smooth, continuous processing of customers consecutively with a maximum of speed and a minimum of fatigue for the checker.

In accordance with even more specific features of the invention, I provide a shopping receptacle, preferably in the form of a wire or wicker-type basket carried on a rolling frame so that the basket and the frame together form a shopping cart, the front wall of the basket comprising a slidable door movable downwardly in substantially parallel vertical guides and having a locking device adapted to be opened against the biasing action of a spring; a lifting table comprising a trough for supporting the bottom of the basket when the cart is suitably located relative to the check-out counter; the trough having relatively low sides tapering toward the bottom thereof at the front and rear ends thereof and adapted to slidingly receive the basket thereon, the trough being supporting on the vertically movable lifting device; and the checkout counter at the merchandise-depositing location being provided with an electromagnetic switch-control device for unlocking the slidable door of the basket and for holding the door in fixed position as the lifting device moves the cart upwardly.

In this system the articles of purchase in the basket are able to be reached very easily by the checker and the unlocking and opening operation of the slidable door ar able to be carried out automatically without intervention by the checker.

In accordance with even further variations and features of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention, I provide a mechanical discharge device for laterally discharging the baskets and/ or shopping carts located at the merchandise-depositing location by pushing the baskets or carts sidewise into the aisle adjacent the checkout counter after the basket or cart has been emptied and lowered, so that the merchandise-depositing location is now free to receive another basket or cart. Consequently, the succeeding customer, after placing her cart or basket at the merchandise-depositing location, is in a position to grasp the handle of the cart or basket of the previous customer which has been pushed into the aisle and can readily move it out of her way. Thus part of the reassembly of the carts or baskets is accordingly relegated to the customer and an organized return of the shopping carts or baskets to their original position is thereby commenced while avoiding any disturbance of the continuous flow of transactions at the check-out counter.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. Although the invention is illustrated herein as check-out apparatus for self-service retail stores, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shopping cart constructed in accordance with my invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the side of the basket portion of the cart showing the openable end thereof;

FIG. 3 is a right-hand end view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the upper right-hand corner of FIG. 2, partly in section;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the lower right-hand end of FIG. 2, partly in section, in combination with an electromagnetic control mounted on t e check-out counter;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view, pa-rtly broken away, of the shopping cart in raised position with slidable doors lowered along side the check-out counter;

FIG. 8 is a right-hand end view of FIG. 7 further broken away to show the lifting mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view, in reduced size, of FIG. 7 showing the general assembly of the shopping cart, the check-out counter and the cash register;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in section, of the lifting mechanism of FIG. 8 shown in greater detail; and

FIG. 11 is a schematic circuit diagram for operating the apparatus of the invention.

As shown in the figures the invention includes a shopping cart having the general appearance of conventional carts of this type but also including special technical features in accordance with the invention. The shopping cart is for use in self-service retail stores, such as supermarkets in combination with a check-out counter having a merchandise-depositing location also provided with special technical features according to the invention.

As seen in FIGS. 1 to 5, the shopping cart A has a generally conventional chassis 1 of tubular frame construction provided with swivelling wheels or rollers, and carrying a wire or Wicker-type basket 2 with a handle located at the rear wall thereof. The tubular frame chassis 1 includes a pair of tubular portions 1b, 10 extending vertically upwardly more or less in the general plane in which the rear wall of the basket 2 is located. An unbroken space is thus provided beneath the basket 2 from the front end thereof to the vertical tubular portions 1b, 1c of the chasis 1. As shown, for example, most clearly in FIG. 8, the basket 2 has the conventional shape tapering from the rear wall to the front wall thereof. The rear wall of the basket 2 is hinged to a strut on the handle frame (FIG. 1) substantially at the upper edge of the basket walls and its lower edge freely abuts against a pair of lugs (not shown) jutting inwardly from the side walls of the basket so that, as viewed in FIG. 1, the rear wall is pivotable counterclockwise. This type of construction permits space-saving by telescoping the baskets when storing the carts.

The novel structural features of the shopping cart A in accordance with my invention are the front wall 3 of the basket 2 which is in the form of a downwardly slidable door, secured against being lowered inadventently by providing a locking device including a pawl or catch 7 pivotally hinged on a horizontal pin 4, a crank-shaped tongue 6 and a compression spring 5. The catch 7 clicks into frictional engagement with the resilient tongue 6 which extends forwardly from the bottom of the basket 2 and is held firmly in locking position by the spring 5 (FIG. 6). The slidable door 3 is positively guided without tilting along three substantially vertical guide rails 8, 8, 8 (FIG. 4) located equidistant from one another at the front end of the basket 2. A substantially vertically guide rail 8 is located along each of the two substantially vertical front edges of the sides of the basket 2, and a slide member 9 (FIG. 5) in the form of a sleeve or pipe clip is slidingly mounted on each of the guide rails 8 and is secured to each of the vertical side edges of the slidable door near the upper edge of the door (FIGS. 2 and 5). The third guide rail 8 is disposed in the center of the slidable door 3 and is slidable in a bore 9' formed in the tongue 6 (FIG. 6). When the pawl 7 is pivoted from its locking position shown in solid lines in FIGS. 2 and 6 to its unlocking position shown in phantom in FIGS. 2 and 6, it is then possible to lower the slidable door 3 and to thereby open the front end of the basket 2 by sliding the door downwardly along the guide rails 8, 8, 8 so that, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the upper edge of the door 3 is substantially at the level of the bottom of the basket 2, in accordance with the construction of the embodiment shown in the drawing. It is advantageous that the shopping cart be constructed or adjusted to a height in which the upper edge of the front wall of the basket 2 i.e. the upper edge of the slidable door 3, is substantially level with the horizontal top of the check-out counter at the merchandise-depositing location thereof when the shopping cart is in position in that location.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tubular frame of the chassis 1 is constructed in two parts (FIG. 1), the part 1a being substantially horizontal and having the wheels or rollers fixed thereto, the part 1b being substantially vertical and fixed to the receptacle or basket 2. The part 1a has two substantially vertical tubular portions telescoping with the part 1b and able to be fixed thereto by means of keybelts or cotter pins insertable in suitably provided transverse bores 10 through the parts 1a and 1b and in registry with one another. This feature affords a practical advantage in that it renders possible the adjustment of the level of the basket 2 so as to accommodate it to the prevailing conditions and, simultaneously provides production advantage in that it makes possible utilization of baskets of varying capacity and correspondingly varying heights and other dimensions with a common chassis 1, the various baskets 2 being adjustable by means of the transverse bores 1c and the keybolts or cotter pins to the particular level required. The check-out counter shown in its entirety in the plan view of FIG. 9 and in part in the elevational views of FIGS. 7 and 8 essentially comprises a cash register table or similar table B arranged at an acute angle with a table C constituting in part a merchandise-depositing location and a packing or bagging location F. Several conventional chutes or conveyor belts (three in number in the embodiment of FIG. 9), which are for alternate use, extend between the merchandise-depositin g location and the packing or bagging location. The inside acute angle D formed between the cash register table B and the table E, F, is provided for the checker or cashier. On the other hand, the angle formed on the outside between the cash register table B and the merchandise-depositing location B serves for sequentially receiving the shopping carts A. In the general arrangement found to be most practicable, as shown in FIG. 9, for the check-out counter, the checker or cashier is able to reach without difficulty all portions of the counter from her position at D and including the basket 2 of the cart A so that all of the operations necessary to be performed by her can be done so readily, and she can supervise the entire transaction without any hindrance.

Adjacent the merchandise-depositing location E and mounted on a frame on the wall of the cash register table B there is provided a mechanical lifting device including a substantially vertically disposed threaded shaft 10 having a trapezoidal thread and mounted in ball bearings at the upper and lower ends thereof (FIG. 10), two substantially vertically disposed columns 11, 11 '(FIG. 7) secured to the frame with guide bushings 1'2, 12', and a substantially horizontally disposed rail 13 fixed to the guide bushings 12, 12'. The guide columns 11, 11 are located equidistant to and in alignment with both ends of the threaded shaft 10, and the rail 13 is provided with a threaded bushing (not shown) which is threaded on the upper end of the shaft 10. The guide bushings 12, 12' are each provided with a supporting arm 14, 14 projecting from vertical notches formed in the wall of the cash register table B. A trough 15 (FIGS. 7 and 8) is mounted on the arms 14, 14' and constitute therewith, as well as with the guide rail 13 and the guide bushings 12, 12, a lifting platform for the shopping carts A. The trough 15 may have a base provided with a ribbed friction covering (not shown) to prevent sliding of the basket which, as hereinafter described, is to be supported thereon. The base of the trough 15 is inclined so as to match the inclination of the bottom of the shopping basket 2 and is tapered at the front and rear thereof. The trough 15 is provided with lateral walls 15a extending upwardly on opposite sides of the base thereof so as to suitably grip the lateral surfaces of a shopping basket supported on the trough for a distance approximately one-third of the height of the shopping basket as shown in FIG. 7. The threaded shaft 10 is connected by suitable transmission such as an annular gear 16 with a reversible break motor (FIGS. 8 and 10) so that when the motor is started, in accordance with the direction of rotation of the motor, may be turned clockwise or counterclockwise, thereby raising or lowering the guide rail 13 and the so-called lifting platform therewith.

Inasmuch as the platform will be generally lowered at a speed which is considerably greater than that at which it is raised, the transmission 16 from the drive unit 17 should be designed so that the driven rpm. in the rotary direction necessary for rotating the threaded shaft 10 to lower the platform should be considerably higher than that necessary for rotating the shaft 10 to raise the platform.

The entire lifting device is arranged to afford raising the shopping cart to a maximum height considerably greater than the difference in elevation necessary for raising the shopping cart from its normal level when being pushed individually around the store to the level required for handling the merchandise therein by the checker. The shopping cart A is to be pushed sidewise into the phantom position shown in FIG. 9 after the merchandise has been removed therefrom and the cart has been lowered so as to permit a succeeding shopping cart to be raised and the merchandise therein checked. The lifting platform including the trough 15 must therefore be lowered initially to a position that is lower at least by the height of the sides 15a of the trough than the bottom of the basket of the shopping cart to permit the cart to be moved laterally out of its position adjacent the merchandise-depositing location E. By providing this greater range for the lifting platform, it is thus possible to employ shopping carts having baskets 2 of diiferent capacities and having bottoms that are located at different levels above the ground level.

An electromagnetic control device 18 (FIGS. 6 and 7) is located in the wall of the check-out counter at the merchandise-depositing location at a level in registry with the pawl catch 7 of the basket 2 when the cart is originally pushed into position adjacent the merchandisedepositing location. The electromagnetic control 18 is connected to a switch 19 which is automatically tripped when the front wall of the shopping basket 2 engages it, thereby activating the electromagnetic control 18 to release the catch pawl 7 against the friction of the tongue 9' and the biasing action of the spring 5 so as to unlock the slidable door 3 which is accordingly tightly held in fixed position against the electromagnetic control 18. The switch 19 also energizes the motor 17 which actuates the lifting device to raise the cart whereby the bottom of the cart is moved upwardly relative to the fixed slidable wall 3 thereof to open the front end of the basket 2. In combination with the lifting device, there is provided a cart discharging device for laterally removing the shopping carts A from their respective position adjacent the merchandise-depositing location after the baskets thereof have been emptied and the carts have been lowered. As shown in FIG. 10 there are provided a friction wheel 20 having a friction lining 20a keyed onto the lower end of a vertical shaft portion 10a of the threaded arbor 10, a sub stantially horizontal drag rod 21 extending adjacent the friction wheel 20 and housed at the distal end thereof in a bushing bearing 2'2 permitting a slight lateral movement thereof, the front end of the drag rod 21 with a push rod 23 housed in a slot formed in the cash register table (not shown). The drag rod 21 in normal inactive position is spaced slightly from the friction wheel 20 by the biasing action of a nonillustrated spring and held in that position by that spring. An electromagnetic drag control 33 (FIG. 11), when activated, forces thedrag rod against the biasing action of the nonillustrated spring into frictional engagement with the friction wheel 20. Since the friction wheel is rotated by the motor 17 through the transmission 16, the drag rod 21 when engaged by the friction wheel 20 will be moved toward the left-hand or the right-hand side as shown in FIG. 10 in accordance with the corresponding direction of rotation of the motor 17. The drag rod is located at a height above the floor level which will permit the advancing push rod 23 to act on the lower horizontal frame shank of the chassis 1 of the shopping cart located adjacent the merchandisedepositing location.

As shown diagrammatically in FIG. ll, the apparatus of my invention includes automatic, electric control and adjusting elements. The switch 19 has the construction of an end or limit switch which is activated when engaged by the sliding wall 3 of the shopping cart A. The switch 19 accordingly closes the electromagnetic circuit 18 which, in turn, releases the catch pawl 7 and thereby unlocks the slidable wall 3. At the same time, the terminal switch 19 energizes the brake motor 17 over a delayedaction relay 17 thereby initiating the raising platform. As shown in FIG. 11, the motor 17 is supplied by a three phase electrical source. A top limit switch 30 located at the upper end of the lifting stroke then stops the brake motor 17. After the shopping cart has been emptied, a manual reversing switch 31 located at the check-out counter is then activated by the checker to restart the brake motor 17 so that it now rotates in a reverse rotary direction, thereby initiating lowering of the lifting platform. A second limit switch 32 is tripped at the lower part of the downward stroke, cutting out the electromagnetic relay 18 and simultaneously initiating the drag rod con- 9 trol 33 causing the drag rod 21 to engage the friction wheel 20.

The second terminal switch is located at a level selected so that at the moment of the activation of that switch, the lifting platform has already been lowered to a position where the shopping cart A is touching the floor and where the upper edges of the trough sides a are located below the bottom of the shopping basket 2. The brake motor 17 continues to rotate the friction wheel 20 whereby the drag rod 21 is advanced and pushes the shopping cart laterally out of its original location adjacent the merchandise-deposition location. Simultaneously, the lifting platform is lowered a further slight distance by the rotation of the motor 17. At the ultimate lower end of the stroke, a bottom limit switch 34 is tripped and activates the reversing control of the brake motor 17 raising the platform to its original level and simultaneously retracting the drag rod 21 to its original position. At the same time, the second limit switch 32, which possesses two switch points, is activated and, in turn, disconnects the break motor to halt the upward movement of the lifting platform. The apparatus is now set for the next check-out transaction.

In addition to the aforedescribed primarily automatically operated controls, it is also possible to provide additional manual controls and adjusting devices. It may be of practical advantage to provide if possible a cut off switch at the cash register table B for stopping the operation of the lifting device at any given level of the lifting platform. It may also be desirable to provide a regulating switch for infinite or stepwise adjustment of the rotary drive speed when lifting the platform thereby permitting the checker to accommodate the lifting speed with the speed at which she is checking out the items of merchandise which may be dependent among other things on the type of merchandise being handled. The regulating switch can also be in the form of a multistep system which automatically lifts the platform through predetermined distances at regular intervals.

The operation of my apparatus whose purpose is to facilitate and accelerate the check-out procedures in selfservice retail stores is as follows:

When a shopping cart A arrives at the merchandisedepositing location B of the check-out counter, the front wall 3 of the basket 2 of the cart comes into contact with the switch 19 which activates the electromagnetic control 18 unlocking the slidable wall 3 and starting the brake motor 17 after a predetermined delay, thereby initiating upward motion of the shopping cart. In contrast to the conventional check-out operations wherein the customer was required to empty the shopping cart and to place the merchandise on the check-out counter because the checker Was unable to do so due to unfavorable access conditions, in accordance with my invention, the customer deposits her cart adjacent the merchandisedepositing location and then proceeds without delay along the aisle adjacent the check-out counter to the packing or bagging location F at the end thereof at which location the merchandise purchased arrives from one of the chutes or conveyor belts provided on the check-out counter. The customer can then immediately begin to pack away or bag her merchandise as the checker, after raising the cart A and after the brake motor 17 has been automatically cut by the top limit switch at the upper end of the lifting stroke, removes the merchandise through the opened front end of the basket 2, reading the price, registering the price on the cash register, and redepositing the registered merchandise on the check-out counter and more specifically on one of the chute or conveyor belts so as to thereby pass it to the packing or bagging location F. After the entire basket 2 has been emptied, the operator activates the mechanical reversing switch 31 located near the cash register to initiate an automatically operating cycle in which the shopping cart A is lowered to the floor and the platform is lowered sufficiently below the basket 2 so as to permit lateral discharge of the shopping cart A by the automatic activation of the drag rod 21 by the second limit switch 32 as the lifting platform continues to move downwardly, and the lifting platform is then stopped and the rotational direction of the brake motor 17 is then reversed so as to return the drag rod 21 to its initial position and to raise the lifting platform back to its initial position. As this last mentioned cycle is being carried out automatically, the checker has adequate time to carry out the necessary operations at the cash'register.

It is of great advantage in terms of the smooth handling of the check-out operations that the checker is able to begin emptying the shopping cart at the very beginning of the lifting motion of the shopping cart and can continue emptying the cart in keeping with the rate at which the cart is being lifted. The removal of items from the basket is first affected through the top opening of the basket and as the basket is being raised and the front opening thereof is getting larger and larger, the checker accordingly begins to remove the merchandise through the front opening. By providing the aforementioned additional controls and regulating devices, the checker is also able to adapt the speed at which the cart is being lifted to her own work tempo which is dependent among other conditions on the nature of the merchandise being handled. The checker can accordingly control the range of the lifting stroke infinitely or stepwise depending upon the kind of additional controls and devices employed. Moreover, the operator is able to stop the lifting device at any time because of an interruption such as responding to a question or the like, and to reactivate the lifting operation after the interruption is over.

After the shopping cart A has been pushed away from its location adjacent the merchandise-depositing location, it assumes the position shown in phantom in FIG. 9 at the beginning of the aisle located adjacent the check out counter leading to the packing or bagging location F and to the exit from the store, thereby obstructing the aisle. The customer next in line, after placing her shopping cart A adjacent the merchandise-depositing location then has to push the cart A located in the aisle forward until it reaches an assembly location beyond the packing or bagging location F. By this feature based upon the arrangement of check-out counters and the lifting and discharging devices a considerable acceleration of the checkout operation is automatically provided and the obstacles created by shopping carts being left standing at random in the vicinity of the check-out counter are eliminated. Such a feature also affords a major economy in the labor necessary to be expended by operating personnel since the emptied shopping carts are virtually removed by the customers.

The preferred embodiment described and illustrated hereinbefore is of course subject to many variations. Thus it is feasible without difiiculty to replace the electrically operated reversible brake motor with a penumatic drive unit and to provide electric, pneumatic or purely mechanical controls for affecting automatic drive. The reversible break motor can also be replaced by a conventional break motor coupled with a reversing gear which can be furnished with electromagnetic controls or the like. Furthermore, the slidable door or wall 3 of the basket 2 can be constructed 50 that it can move sidewise instead of downwardly or can be pivotable around a hinged coupling.

It is also possible without much difiiculty to adapt the apparatus of my invention for use with shopping baskets without carts. In such a case, the check-out counter could be furnished for example with an additional chute or conveyor belt to carry the empty baskets laterally away to an assembly location.

What is claimed is:

1. Check-out apparatus for self-service retail stores comprising a plurality of shopping receptacles e-ach having a normally closed substantially vertical side formed by a wall slidable in a downward direction relative to other Walls of the receptacle to open said side so as to provide access for removing from said receptacle merchandise previously deposited in said receptacle, a checkout counter having a merchandise-depositing location for receiving thereon mechandise removable from said receptacle lifting means adjacent said merchandise-depositing location actuatable for elevating said shopping receptacle to a level at which the bottom of said receptacle is located in substantially the same horizontal plane as the top surface of said check-out counter, and means located at said merchandise-depositing location for fixing said wall at a given position in lowermost position of said receptacle and retaining said wall in said given position as said receptable is being elevated by said lifting means.

2. Check-out apparatus according to claim 1, including control means for actuating said lifting means in response to the opening of the normally closed side of a respective shopping receptacle.

3. Check-out apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said shopping receptacle forms part of a shopping cart further comprising a rolling chassis supporting said receptacle, said normally closed side being at the front end of said receptacle, said receptacle having substantially vertical guide means at said front end thereof for slidingly guiding the wall of said receptacle at said front end thereof, said bottom of said receptacle in a substantially vertical direction relative to one another so as to open the front end of said receptacle.

4. Check-out apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said guide means comprises a plurality of substantially vertical and parallel rails located at the front end of said receptacle, fixed relative to the bottom of said receptacle and a corresponding number of slider members fixed to said front end wall of said receptacle and slidably engaging said rails respectively.

5. Check-out apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said receptacle has a pair of lateral walls each having a substantially vertical edge at said front end of said receptacle, one of said guide rails being located at each of said substantially vertical edges.

6. Check-out apparatus according to claim 5, including at least one additional guide rail fixed to said slidable wall of said receptacle so that it is substantially parallel to and equally spaced from the other of said guide rails and at least one additional slider member fixed to said bottom of said receptacle and slidably engaging the additional guide rail, respectively.

7. Check-out apparatus according to claim 1, including a locking device for locking the slidable Wall at said normally closed side of said receptacle in the normally closed condition thereof.

8. Check-out apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said locking device comprises a pawl member turnably mounted on a substantially horizontal pivot secured to the lower part of said slidable wall and extending substantially parallel thereto, a tongue member jutting forwardly from and extend parallel to the bottom of said receptacle, said pawl member, in the normally closed condition of said slidable wall, overlying and frictionally engaging said tongue member, and resilient means biasing said pawl member into frictional locking engagement with said tongue member.

9. Check-out apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said tongue member is cranked upwardly and forwardly and is formed with an opening, said slidable wall having a substantially vertical guide rail slidable within the opening of said tongue member.

10. Check-out apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lifting means comprises a lifting platform carrying a trough adapted to underlie and support the bottom of a shopping receptacle, said trough having open ends and substantially vertical side walls tapering from the rear to the front hereof so as to conform to the shape of said shopping receptacle.

11. Check-out apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said check-out counter also includes a cash register table having a wall defining an angular space with another Wall of said check-out counter at said merchandisedepositing location, said shopping receptacle being mounted on a rollable chassis in the form of a cart adapted to fit into said angular space with said slidingly openable side of said receptacle abutting said other wall, said lifting platform including a pair of supporting arm's respectively extending from substantially vertical slots formed in said wall of said cash register table in a direction transversely to the longitudinal axis of a shopping cart normally received in said angular space, said trough being carried by said arms at a predetermined level so that the bottom of the receptacle will ride up on the trough as the cart is fitted into said angular space.

12. Check-out apparatus for self-service retail stores comprising a plurality of shopping receptacles having a normally closed side sliding openable to provide access for removing from a respective receptacle merchandise previously deposited in said receptacle, a check-out counter having a merchandise-depositing location for receiving thereon merchandise removable from said receptacle, means located at said merchandise-depositing location for slidingly opening the normally closed side of a shopping receptacle brought into proximity of said location and lifting means adjacent said location actuable for elevating said shopping receptacle to a level at which the bottom of said receptacle is located in substantially the same horizontal plane as the top surface of said checkout counter, said lifting means comprising a frame, a vertically disposed, threaded shaft rotatably supported by end hearings on said frame, and a nut bushing threaded on said shaft, a pair of guide rods extending parallel to and in alignment with one another and with said threaded shaft and a corresponding pair of guide bushings respectively slidingly mounted on said guide rods, a transversely extending rail connecting said guide bushings with said threaded nut bushing and secured to said nut bushing, a pair of substantially horizontal supporting arms rigidly carried by said rail and forming therewith a lifting platform, and drive means for rotating said threaded shaft in reversible directions.

13. Check-out apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said drive means comprises a drive motor having a substantially horizontal shaft housed in said frame, and transmission means comprising an angular gear connecting said drive motor shaft to said threaded shaft.

14. Check-out apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said drive motor is a reversible brake motor.

1'5. Check-out apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said drive motor is a brake motor, and said transmission means is adapted to reverse the direction of rotation of said threaded shaft.

16. Check-out apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said check-out counter also includes a cash register table having a wall defining an angular space with another Wall of said check-out counter at said merchandise-depositing location, said shopping receptacle being mounted on a rollable chassis in the form of a cart adapted to fit into said angular space with said slidably openable side of said receptacle abutting said other Wall, and a mechanical discharge device for laterally displacing out of said angular space a shopping cart located in said angular space.

17. Check-out apparatus for self-service retail stores comprising a plurality of shopping receptacles having a normally closed side slidingly openable to provide access for removing from a respective receptacle merchandise previously deposited in said receptacle, a check-out counter having a merchandise-depositing location for receiving thereon merchandise removable from said receptacle, means located at said merchandise-depositing location for slidingly opening the normally closed side of a shopping receptacle brought in to proximity of said location and lifting means adjacent said location actuable for elevating said shopping receptacle to a level at which the bottom of said receptacle is located in substantially the same horizontal plane :as the top surface of said check-out counter, said check-out counter also including a cash register table having a wall defining an angular space with another wall of said check-out counter at said merchandise-depositing location, said shopping receptacle being mounted on :a rollable chassis in the form of a cart adapted to fit into said angular space with said slidingly openable side of said receptacle abutting said other wall, a mechanical discharge device for laterally displacing out of said angular space a shopping cart located in said angular space, said lifting means comprising a lifting platform and drive means operatively connected therewith for raising and lowering said platform, said shopping cart discharge device comprising a drag rod mounted substantially horizontally near floor level, a friction wheel driven by said drive means, and means for coupling said drag rod with said friction wheel, said drag rod having an end carrying a push rod and extending from said wall of said cash register table in a direction transversely to the longitudinal axis of a cart fitted into said angular space.

18. Check-out apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the end of said drag rod carrying said push rod extends through a guide slot formed in said wall of said cash register table and the other end of said drag rod is supported in a sleeve bearing, said lifting means includes a vertically mounted threaded shaft rotatable by said drive means, said friction wheel being mounted on the lower end of said shaft at the level of said substantially horizontally disposed drag rod.

19. Check-out apparatus according to claim 1, including electromagnetic control means mounted on a wall of said check-out counter at said merchandise-depositing location, said shopping receptacle being movable into a position wherein said slidingly openable, normally closed side of said receptacle faces said wall, switch means adapted to actuate said electromagnetic control means for opening said slidingly openable side and holding it in rigid position as said lifting means elevates the rest of said receptacle.

20. Check-out apparatus for self-service retail stores comprising a plurality of shopping receptacles having a normally closed side slidingly openable to provide access for removing from a respective receptacle merchandise previously deposited in said receptacle, a check-out counter having a merchandise-depositing location for receiving thereon merchandise removable from said receptacle, means located at said merchandise depositing location for slidingly opening the normally closed side of a shopping receptacle brought into proximity of said location and lifting means adjacent said location actuable for elevating said shopping receptacle to a level at which the bottom of said receptacle is located in substantially the same horizontal plane as the top surface of said checking-out counter, said normally closed side of said receptacle being locked by a locking device, and further including control means for unlocking and rigidly holding said normally closed side of said receptacle for elevating and lowering said lifting means, for discharging said receptacle, and for restoring said lifting means to its original position.

21. Check-out apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said control means comprises a terminal switch located 6 on a wall of said check-out counter at said merchandisedepositing location thereof, said terminal switch being engageable by said slidingly openable, normally closed side of said shopping receptacle for activating an electromagnetic control circuit, means including a delayed-action relay for energizing a drive unit for elevating a lifting platform forming part of said lifting means.

22. Check-out apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said control means also comprises three limit switches disposed along the path of said lifting means and including a top limit switch for stopping further upward movement of said lifting platform, a second limit switch located at a lower part of said path for cutting out said electromagnetic control circuit as said lifting platform is being lowered, mechanical means for discharging said receptacle from the position thereof at said merchandisedepositing location including a drag rod and a friction wheel driven by said drive unit, another electromagnetic control circuit activatable by said second limit switch for coupling said drag rod and said friction wheel and for cutting out said drive unit through a second control circuit when said lifting platform moves upwardly, and a bottom limit switch mounted at the lower end of the path of said lifting platform for closing circuit reversing the direction of travel of said lifting means and restoring said drag rod and said lifting platform to their original positions.

23. Check-out apparatus according to claim 20 including a manual switch located at said check-out counter for disconnecting a drive unit forming part of said lifting means selectively at different raised positions of said lifting platform and for reversing the direction of movement of said lifting platform.

24. Check-out apparatus according to claim 20 including a manual control switch at said check-out counter for controlling the rate of movement of said lifting platform.

25. Check-out apparatus according to claim 20 including control switch having a step-by-step control for raising said lifting platform at intervals stepwise and automatically.

26. Check-out apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said transmission means is adapted to rotate said threaded shaft at a higher rotary speed for lowering said lifting platform than for raising said platform.

27. Check-out apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said shopping receptacle is mounted on a rolling chassis so as to form a shopping cart, said chassis comprising a two-part tubular frame, the parts thereof telescoping one another and being adjustable vertically relative to one another so as to locate said receptacle at a predetermined level.

28. Check-out apparatus according to claim 27 wherein the upper edge of the slidingly openable, normally closed side of said receptacle is located at substantially the same level as the upper surface of said check-out counter at said merchandise-depositing location thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,632,747 6/ 1927 Nash 296-52 2,943,707 7/1960 Ramlose 1861.1 3,076,527 2/1963 Chusid 1861.1 3,118,553 1/1964 Rosenzweig 280-33.99 3,196,984 7/1965 Stout 1861.1 3,311,197 3/1967 Lachance 186-l.1

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

HARVEY C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 280--33.99 

